Fort Worth used to have the reputation of being the slower-paced, rural cousin to Dallas. But as the 16th largest city in the country, Fort Worth is stepping up to the big leagues. According to a recent story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, developers are planning the first high-rise apartment building in Downtown Fort Worth. The tower will have 32 floors, making it one of the tallest buildings in Fort Worth.

The tallest office buildings in Downtown Fort Worth have 40 floors. Previously, the tallest residential buildings were The Tower, which was the former Bank One building that was turned into condos after being devastated by the 2000 tornado, and the Residences at the Omni, which has condo units above the hotel.

Downtown Fort Worth and nearby Southside are becoming sought-after locations for entertainment and nightlife. The development of buildings such as the new apartments are a sign that Fort Worth is in the process of creating a city center with a vibrant downtown, much like Dallas.

Southern Land Co. is the Nashville-based developer that is working on the new high-rise apartment building. Todd Marchesani, director of acquisitions for Southern Land, told the Star-Telegram the company spent three years seeking a site to develop in Downtown Fort Worth.

“We’ve been actively looking for a development site in downtown Fort Worth,” Marchesani said. “We love everything about it. We’ve made offers on a number of sites and fortunately we were able to put this one under contract.”

Although it is Southern Land’s first project in Fort Worth, it is their sixth in the metroplex. Southern Land also developed the Arthouse units in Keller, as well as projects in Dallas, Plano, and Allen.

The Downtown Design Review Committee recently approved the project, which means it moves forward to the architecture design phase. The property is one of the sites formerly occupied by XTO Energy, which recently relocated workers to The Woodlands. The site is the block between Eighth and Ninth Streets, and Commerce and Calhoun Streets.

The plans for the building also include underground tenant and visitor parking, with 6,000 square feet of retail on the street level and additional parking. Residences will begin on the eighth floor.